Life After Death

[ttrobertson22]

Could Someone Please Tell Me If We Will Be Able To Recognize Our Family And Friends Once We Die And Our Soul Goes Up To Heaven?
Also Once We Are In Heaven Do You Think We Think Of Our Love Ones Left Behide??

[cathy1953]

Somewhere the Bible says "You will be known as you are known."

The second question, I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but I believe that when we are in heaven we won't remember anything "bad" or "sad".
If we have loved ones still on earth who are unsaved, we might not remember that.
But if you're talking about "Left behind" as in after the rapture, then everyone left behind at that time will initially be unsaved, but will still have an opportunity to get saved, I THINK.

I just believe that when we're in heaven we won't remember or know of anything bad or sad. The Bible says Jesus will wipe away every tear, so I'm sure that takes away the sadness also.

[MNGirl]

Can't think of the Scripture reference, but we won't remember those we loved that didn't make it. How could we enjoy being in heaven if we were thinking of people we loved who were in hell?

[ttrobertson22]

Actually I Mean If Someone Was To Die Say Tomorrow - If You Got To Heaven Would You Remember The People Still Living On Earth That You Love?

[stormtrooper]

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, when the rich man was in Torments he remembered his family.

[bopeep1909]

Yes, we will recognize those who were christians that have gone before us. Although we will have a different relationship in heaven.<><

[Rodney]

Could Someone Please Tell Me If We Will Be Able To Recognize Our Family And Friends Once We Die And Our Soul Goes Up To Heaven?




Yes


1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."


In this passage we see an example of two people who have gone to be with the Lord, that is Moses and Elijah. We see that they have kept their distinct identities and were recognizable as themselves (and by people who had never seen them before too). Its a good bet that not only did the disciples know them as Moses and Elijah but that Elijah also knew Moses was Moses and Moses knew Elijah was Elijah.

[ephox]

Didn't Jesus speak of a man recognizing Abraham and Lazarus from Hades, and wanting one of them to give him a drop of water?

I don't think Jesus would have used this example, if it wasn't possible to do.

[mikesteffen]

Could Someone Please Tell Me If We Will Be Able To Recognize Our Family And Friends Once We Die And Our Soul Goes Up To Heaven?
We will be disembodied souls in heaven until the rapture. In Luke 16 Jesus told us about three disemodied souls, the rich man, Lazarus, and Abraham. As ephox said the rich man did recognize Lazaras and Abraham.

Luke 16:23-24
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Also Once We Are In Heaven Do You Think We Think Of Our Love Ones Left Behide??
As stormtrooper said the rich man remembered his loved ones.

Luke 16:27-28
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
But I have heard a very respected preachor who believed that in heaven time passes differently than it does here, and that once we die we are instantly or fairly quickly at the rapture.

Theoretically that is possible according to physics. Einstein’s relativity says that time passes at different rates relative to the speed of light or something a rether. But I don’t know of any scripture that tells us one way or the other whether that is true. Except maybe for 2 Peter 3:8...

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
But either way, I don’t think that our loved ones would be having sorrow worrying about us. In God’s presence is fullness of joy. I am certain that they are comforted.

________________

[ttrobertson22]

Thank Each Of You For Your Answers. It Makes Me Feel Much Better Since The Passing Of A Loved One.

[TruthGiver]

Here is a link to a good article about Heaven:

http://www.epm.org/articles/heavenqa.html

[Mike King]

We will be disembodied souls in heaven until the rapture. In Luke 16 Jesus told us about three disemodied souls, the rich man, Lazarus, and Abraham. As ephox said the rich man did recognize Lazaras and Abraham.

Luke 16:23-24



As stormtrooper said the rich man remembered his loved ones.

Luke 16:27-28

But I have heard a very respected preachor who believed that in heaven time passes differently than it does here, and that once we die we are instantly or fairly quickly at the rapture.

Theoretically that is possible according to physics. Einstein’s relativity says that time passes at different rates relative to the speed of light or something a rether. But I don’t know of any scripture that tells us one way or the other whether that is true. Except maybe for 2 Peter 3:8...


But either way, I don’t think that our loved ones would be having sorrow worrying about us. In God’s presence is fullness of joy. I am certain that they are comforted.

________________

Hi,
Just to mention; nowhere in the bible does it state there are disembodied souls in heaven. The soul is not immortal. The soul is not the 'person' incarnated in a flesh body. The soul in biblical terms is the 'life'.

DT 12:23 The life (soul from Hebrew "nephesh") is in the blood.

The soul dies at physical death Numbers 23:10 Let my soul (nephesh) die the death of the righteous...

What happens at death? Ecclesiates 12:7 ..the spirit returns to God who gave it.

"nephesh" is not promised immortality, rather immortality is a gift from God (Romans 6:23) and we will recieve resurrection bodies (physical).

I hope that clears it up, but in short, we wait for the Lord's return and resurrection of the dead rather than the Greek philisophical idea that we will be disembodied souls which has no scriptural support.

[mikesteffen]

Hi,
Just to mention; nowhere in the bible does it state there are disembodied souls in heaven. The soul is not immortal. The soul is not the 'person' incarnated in a flesh body. The soul in biblical terms is the 'life'.

DT 12:23 The life (soul from Hebrew "nephesh") is in the blood.

The soul dies at physical death Numbers 23:10 Let my soul (nephesh) die the death of the righteous...

What happens at death? Ecclesiates 12:7 ..the spirit returns to God who gave it.

"nephesh" is not promised immortality, rather immortality is a gift from God (Romans 6:23) and we will recieve resurrection bodies (physical).

I hope that clears it up, but in short, we wait for the Lord's return and resurrection of the dead rather than the Greek philisophical idea that we will be disembodied souls which has no scriptural support.
2 Cor. 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

[mikesteffen]

Also...

1 Thes 4:14
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Would this not be their souls?

[mikesteffen]

Sorry for the overkill, but I have to throw in one more.

Rev 6:9
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

[Mike King]

2 Cor. 5:8

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.


Hi Mike,
Yes, absolutely! Paul was implying that his next waking moment will be parousia and the resurrection, not immortality of the soul. The soul in NT ans the OT has various meanings to include: The 'vital life' shared by humans and animals (Gen 2:19, DT 12:23, GEN 2:7, Lev 17:11), the whole person (gen 14:21,Ps42:6), its strongly instinctive with 'animal' activity (like desire, feeling, emotion, mood) linked to the body's cravings/needs (Dt 14:26). But centrally, 'Nephesh' is the physical life of the person in relation to animal activity.

The Greek idea that people are 'incarnated souls' has influenced late Jewish and early christians. Reading into scripture the Greek concepts has distorted the original Hebrew and NT meanings.


Also...

1 Thes 4:14

Quote:
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Would this not be their souls?

To the Hebrew, at death, people were no longer 'nephesh' but 'Rephaim' (shadows) in Sheol where it is not extinction, but 'insubstantial', death being the weakest form of life (Is 14:10, Job 3: 17-19). As stated from Ecclesiates 12:7, its the spirit (ruah) that returns to God so maybe its the spirits of those who died are brought with Jesus at Parousia for resurrection. There is no mention of 'phuche' (soul) in this context.


Sorry for the overkill, but I have to throw in one more.

Rev 6:9

Quote:
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:


In the next verse, one reads about ' avenge our blood' which can be compared to Gen 4:10:
10 The LORD said, What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground

The definitive statement about soul in the bible is DT 12:23

The life is in the blood...

'Life' here has been translated from the Hebrew word for soul (nephesh)

Both verses (Rev 6:9-10 and Gen 4:10) are not literal, but have the same meaning. Abel's blood was not literally crying out, but it was evidence for a big injustice.
Here is a detailed study on 'nepshesh' and 'psuche' in the OT and NT; its rather long!
http://www.drhoff.com/Writings/writings2.htm

And another

http://www2.andrews.edu/~samuele/books/immortality_resurrection/2.htm